Cahors is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) (Controlled designation of origin) associated with part of the South West France wine-region.
The history of Cahors winemaking goes back to the era of Ancient Rome, with vines being planted in the area around 50 BC.
Similar to many other winemaking regions, Cahors was hit badly by The Great French Wine Blight in the late 19th century, when the vines were attacked in the phylloxera epidemic.
In February 1956, Cahors was hit by frosts that wiped out almost all the vineyards of the region, which thus needed to be replanted en masse.
The river Lot is an important factor for the microclimate in the vineyards, especially as the nearby Massif Central may occasionally cause severe frost in winter.